Luisenpark: Mannheim’s hidden oasis

The city of Mannheim, Germany may not have much to offer the tourist looking for beautiful old neighborhood blocks and romantic castles, but Luisenpark – the city’s largest park – provides a welcome chance to escape the Quadrate’s grey and grime.

Luisenpark is an absolutely massive space that could easily take a whole day to fully explore, as it provides more than just a large open space with some playgrounds for children. The park is full of activities for all ages, including a Chinese garden, a pond, wooden drawbridges, a greenhouse, an open air stage, gondoletta boats, flower gardens, and even a large obstacle course.

The best time to visit the park is in the spring, when the gardens are in full bloom and the weather hasn’t yet reached its summer peak, but the park is open year round, and hosts public events each month.